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Background:

An asymptomatic hip with osteonecrosis is typically discovered as the contralateral hip of a patient with one symptomatic joint. Treatment of the asymptomatic hip is controversial. While some authors claim a benign natural history, others have reported a rate of femoral head collapse exceeding 50%. The purpose of this report was to systematically review the published literature regarding asymptomatic osteonecrosis of the femoral head to evaluate the overall prevalence of progression to symptomatic disease and/or femoral head collapse as well as to determine whether various radiographic and demographic factors influence progression of the disorder.

Methods:

A comprehensive literature search was performed to identify prognostic studies evaluating asymptomatic hip osteonecrosis. Demographic, radiographic, and outcome data were extracted from all relevant studies. The prevalence of progression …